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Alice Marie Johnson, 63, has spent more than two decades behind bars and was not eligible for parole

"BEST NEWS EVER!!!!" Kim Kardashian West tweeted. She championed Johnson's case after seeing a video about her on Twitter

President Trump has seemed drawn to causes advocated by conservatives, celebrities or those who once appeared on his former reality show

Hours after she was released from prison on a commuted sentence, Alice Marie Johnson was joyous and thankful for President Donald Trump's clemency and the intervention from reality TV star Kim Kardashian West that brought Johnson's case to his attention.

In an interview on the "Today" show, Johnson called her commuted life sentence a miracle: "I know that only God could have touched Kim Kardashian's heart like that."

Kardashian West had championed Johnson's case after seeing a video about the 63-year-old grandmother by the digital news company Mic. The celebrity went to the White House in May to meet with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a senior adviser, and the president as well. A week later, Johnson was freed.

"We have connected," Johnson said of Kardashian West. "She said that she felt something when she saw and heard my story and I'm just so thankful for it. I can't explain it. It's a miracle."

Trump Commutes Sentence of Great-Grandmother After Meeting With Kim Kardashian

President Trump commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson Wednesday after meeting with Kim Kardashian in the Oval Office last week. Johnson, a 63-year-old great-grandmother, had served 22 years of a life sentence for a first time non-violent offense after being convicted of drug possession and money laundering. The commutation is different from a pardon in that it does not wipe out the conviction, it merely reduces the punishment.

Kardashian West called Johnson's release the "BEST NEWS EVER!!!!" on Wednesday and said in a statement that she hopes to continue working with organizations that push for clemency for deserving prisoners.

"I'm so grateful to President Trump, Jared Kushner and to everyone who has showed compassion and contributed countless hours to this important moment for Ms. Alice Marie Johnson," Kardashian West said. "Her pardon and forthcoming release is inspirational and gives hope to so many others who are also deserving of a second chance."

Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation involving more than a dozen people. The 1994 indictment describes dozens of deliveries and drug transactions, many involving Johnson.

She was sentenced to life in prison in 1997. Appeals court judges and the Supreme Court rejected her appeals. Court records show she had a motion pending for a reduction in her sentence, but federal prosecutors were opposed, saying in a court filing that the sentence is in accord with federal guidelines, based on the large quantity of drugs involved.

A criminal justice advocacy site, CAN-DO, and one of Johnson's lawyers said a request for clemency was rejected when Barack Obama was president. The reasons are unclear.

The White House said Johnson took responsibility for her behavior and has been a model prisoner.

Video footage showed Johnson run ecstatically toward her family Wednesday night after she was freed from federal prison in Aliceville, Alabama.

"I'm just so thankful, I feel like my life is starting over again. This is a beautiful day," Johnson told reporters at the time, thanking the president and revealing that it was Kardashian West who told her over the phone that she'd be released.

As with Alice Johnson, the boxer's pardon had a celebrity backer — actor Sylvester Stallone, who Trump said had brought the story to his attention in a phone call.

And more could be coming. A White House official has told NBC News that dozens of pardons have been prepared for Trump and he is considering them, though there was no indication he will move ahead with any or all of them.

This official did not name the people under consideration or what category of offense they would be pardoned for.